


The Tale of Finding

by Myrrlhe



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Soen no Kiseki/Akatsuki no Megami | Fire Emblem Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn
Genre: M/M, Pre-Canon, So much worldbuilding, also edward has a canon little brother, feat. world building, nolan shows up so i can make jokes about him being called old
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-23
Updated: 2018-03-14
Packaged: 2018-09-19 10:10:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9435560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Myrrlhe/pseuds/Myrrlhe
Summary: "It's strange, really. The war made me lose everything, I never expected it to give me another chance by meeting you."In which a boy finds more of the world, of the people and most of all himself.





	1. A Day's Death, A Bond's Birth

Perched on the cracked roof tiles, Edward scanned the bustling square for his target. The market district of Nevassa was busy like always, packed with all sorts of activity. Just below him was a farmer trying to catch a tiny piglet on the loose, as he skirted around the flock of chickens on the ground. A bit further was Missus Fist haggling with an unfortunate seller, waving around with her famously powerful hands. For a moment, Edward temporarily forgot why he was there, drinking in the sights with a smile. It was nice to see some things never changed, even after certain events. Then the most delicious, golden scent wafted over to where he was, and he bolted awake. His eyes zeroed in on the faded red awning of the stall.

"Jackpot." Edward whispered, his hand gripping the tiles in excitement. The stall had attracted quite a number of people, most of them wearing red armor. Begnion armor. He made a face, sticking out his tongue at the soldiers for good measure. He itched to do something more, like throw a rock or better yet, a pot of boiling water, but decided to lay low instead. Sure he would have loved to see those Begnion monkeys' face melt off, but he hadn't eaten in three days except for a loaf of bread and some stew made from potato peelings and if he spent another day without eating he'd break into an army camp just to nab the prison gruel. And what better way to fill your stomach with one of the best creations of humankind, with their golden crisp, and juicy insides, and that TASTE! He saw one of the soldiers gripping one of them in his hand, mouth opening for the bite. Edward turned away, feeling faint. He really should have saved that bread for now, for the extra boost of energy. If he tried to nab the stall like this, he'd be behind iron bars before anyone could say Ashnard. A logical voice in his head told him that he should just target any other shop, with not as much soldiers around. And he would have listened if it were not for two reasons. One, the shopkeeper was a suck-up for the Begnion freaks, charging his stuff a lot less to Begnion only. And two, his little brother Buddy had been wanting one for ages.

Oh and it tasted like heaven. That made it three.

Snatching some olivi grass from his pouch, he shoved them into his mouth, clamping his jaw to avoid spitting them out. Olivi grass was nasty stuff, but it really helped waking people up. Still, ugh. Shuddering as the last of the grass slid down his throat(gross), Edward hopped off the roof. Mingling with the stream of people, he slowly made his way up to the stall. From a ways beyond, he could see the shop keeper disappear behind the counter to restock. Perfect. With a few 'Excuse me's and 'Hey there's, he sneaked up on the shop. With the stall just a few steps away, he hung back, dawdling behind a particularly big cow. The large number of red armored soldiers have thinned out a lot, but there were still a few left. Keeping one eye on the shopkeeper's back, Edward busied himself with the cow, petting it and tickling it. There was a slight worry that it might run him over, but it seemed to like it, nudging his hand with its nose. Man, who knew cow noses were this cold? Buddy would be so jealous that he got to touch one.

A movement, and that was his cue. He yanked the cow's ear as hard as he could and stepped back, his heart twinging with guilt hearing it squeal. The cow went on having a fit in the middle of the road, which created a lot of confusion and noise helped by the number of people. The soldiers immediately made their way to the cow, leaving Edward to dash to the stall and grab two perfectly cooked meat pies from the shopkeeper.

"Help! Thief!" The cook's squeals rang behind him as he made a mad rush to the nearest alleyway. The narrow walls of the alley seemed to cheer him on as his body moved on instinct. Go straight, turn left and then left again, then right. Eventually he slowed down, panting heavily. Leaning on the cold stone wall, he steadied himself, blinking off the black spots hovering before him. The hunger was starting to be a real problem. If he kept on continuing like this, he'd definitely faint, which would be embarassing. He'd also most likely die from Begnion soldiers, but still, embarassing. 'Well', Edward perked up, 'that's why I went hunting in the first place.' Eyes sparkling with excitement, he opened the satchel, drinking in the heavenly smell wafting from the opening.

As soon as his fingers closed on the flaky crust though, the sounds of clinking armor came from the passage he came through. Muttering some words he got from the sailors at the Saltpit, he quickly scanned the area. From the broken pavement and general disrepair, he was getting closer to the slums, near the storage area guessing from where he started. The walls, while with lots of cracks, were still too high to climb. The passageway to the right, would lead straight to a dead end if he was correct about where he was. Edward turned his eyes to the remaining path heading straight left. Only one way to go.

Almost stumbling on the uneven cobblestone, Edward ran. Just behind him came the sound of armored feet, accompanied with yells in that slippery snake Begnion accent. Judging by the sound, he guessed the number of soldiers to be about five or six.

'At least it isn't a whole squad like last time.' A small shiver ran up his spine as he remembered the time he almost got sent to a prison camp two months ago. He managed to escape during the confusion of a bandit ambush, but he was pretty sure something like that was a one-time miracle. Besides, the idea of getting manhandled by those red gargoyles was just plain insulting.

He turned another sharp left, sliding under a windowsill protruding from the wall in one fluid motion. The other soldiers weren't so mobile however, multiple clangs and cursing filling the space behind him.

'Got 'em!' Grinning wildly, Edward twisted and turned in the alleyway maze and burst into the storage area. The storage area as the name said, was a place where lots of important people stored crates and sacks full of what he guessed equally important stuff. Well used to, since the important people realized placing such important stuff near the a place full of thieves and bandits was a bad idea and started putting their stuff somewhere else. The storage buildings were still there though, close to collapsing, but still standing. They would have been pretty good hiding places if not for the solid locks on each door. Noticing the piles of empty crates to the side, he squeezed himself into one of them. Not the best, but it'll have to do.

Clink. He held his breath, not daring to move. Through the crates, muffled voices came from outside. A moment later, a harsher voice barked out. The barking man yelled one more time, with the other people replying. Then more clinks, this time getting farther away. After he was sure there were no more soldiers near him, Edward let out the breath he was holding. He was safe, for now.

* * *

Leonardo woke up battered, bruised, and above all else, starving.

He tried going back to sleep, to the sweet lull of unconscious, but it was no use. If there was one thing the military school tought him, it was to be active and battle-ready as soon as your eyes are open. He didn't know about the battle-ready part, but with all sleep gone, he might as well get moving.

Rising up, he stretched his limbs, sore muscles screaming in protest. His legs were the most vocal, feeling as if they were layered with molten steel. He almost felt like a fresh cadet again, barely able to crawl out of the bed to get breakfast. Almost, if it were not for the amount of dried blood on his hands.

Memories bubbled up to the surface, but Leonardo shoved them back. This was no time for dwelling on events that already happened. He was a refugee in his own country, hiding in the basement in a decrepit ruins of a house. If he didn't make a proper plan of action and get accordingly prepared for it, he might as well just walk into the prison camps himself.

Or into the sharp tips of spears.

_The dark pines crowding and imposing, with air so thick with fear it left a sour taste in your mouth._

Taking a deep breath, he took his bow in his hand, taking out the wax container with his other. As Leonardo rubbed the wax into the bowstring, he mentally listed the actions that he needed to take, ordered by priority. First, he'd need something to eat, something light and easy to pack, yet not easily spoil. He had no idea how he managed to reach Nevassa all the way from the army school, but he couldn't stay here long. The soldiers that were pursuing him must have told every soldier that was stationed in the city about his escape. Not to mention the amount of Begnion forces placed here considering it was the capital. He grit his teeth. The more he thought about it, his presence in Nevassa sounded more terrible by the second. The sooner he left, the better. Still, he'd have to take his time to prepare. It'd soon be winter, and Daein winter was brutal, harsher than a crack of a bullwhip and more bloodthirsty than a pack of rabid subhumans.

A slight smile cracked through Leo's lips. That sentence used to always bring shivers down his spine whenever he heard his father's hushed voice say it. When he was still a child, he was usually left alone to his tutors and servants, whom although most of them cordial, always kept a distance between him and them. With his mother only present in his father and Micteal's memories, and Micteal himself busy attending military school, he was left to himself for the most part. 

It was ironically his father, easily the busiest of everyone in the manor, who spared some time to spend with him. Before Leo turned in for the night, his father would sometimes be waiting for him with an thick worn book in his hand. Tucked in the covers, he would listen to his father thumb through the pages and retell one of the many stories the book contained. Out of all of them, his favorite had been The Tale of Winter, where the dark god Yune kidnapped a girl and froze her pure heart with the coldest winter. But her younger sister, who was away for an errand, saw the kidnapping and set off to get her back. Most of the story was standard fair, with witches and princes and the obligatory talking body of water, but the aspect of the younger sibling saving the day had appealed to his child self. It was only natural, given how much idolizing he did of his brother and father. To be fair, they had always seemed larger than life even after he grew too old for fairy tales.

His fingers stopped midst brush. Had.

" _We'll be okay." Hollow but there's nothing else to say._

_"Really...? There's only three of us left, and Cisma still hasn't come back yet." A face swollen from tears that still hasn't lost the roundness of a child. Someone who shouldn't be suffering through this. Embracing the child, two equally cold bodies pressing into each other._

_Placing a small kiss on the child 's forhead. "Then us two will just have to make it so." Secretly hoping the child doesn't look up to see the swirl of doubt in his eyes. He'd never been a good liar._

Crrckkkck. Leonardo realized with a jolt how hard he was gripping the bow, his nails digging into the hardy wood. Hastily he put it away with a swab of sand paper to remove any nailmarks. Without the bow in top condition, he'd might as well be useless.

Useless.

_Panic. Fury. Guilt. He had lost the child, lost him. Blindly going back, retracing, backtracking until-_

-No! Leonardo forcefully shut the line of thought down. He couldn't afford to get caught up in his emotions now! Not when-

-What was the point anyway, Another voice whispered. Begnion forces were everywhere. What mattered if he resisted capture for another couple of days or so?-

_A sound. Approaching, crawling among treetops, then seeing-_

Shut up! Shut up shut **_up_** -

_'Do we keep the kid with the others?'_

_'No use having what we can't use.' A raised spear. It descended._

CRACK. The wax tin collided with the opposite wall, hitting the floor with a clatter. Leo stared at it, his breath ringing harshly against his ears. His lungs felt too tight, the air squeezing out in short gasps, like he was back there, in the woods-

_With the small lone lump on the ground._

Bile, acrid and burning, surged from below. Coughing, he tried swallowing it back, but only made the retch worse. Crumbling to the floor, he heaved, but there was nothing in his stomach to come out. He stayed like that until exhaustion forced him to stop, collapsing on the frozen ground. The icy surface burned cold on his bare skin, but he didn't bother to move. Everything felt heavy, his body, his heart, his _soul_ , if that was a thing. He was just so...Tired.

Blink. A warm sensation pushed beneath his eyes, threatening to spill over. Raising one gloved hand, he rubbed furiously at it, but there was nothing. Not even a single drop. Leonardo recalled back to the Tale, the dark god whispering the cold into the girl. Was his heart also frozen? If so, then why did it feel like it would fall out any minute?

It was a few minutes after when he noticed the curtain of hair covering his vision in a veil of gold. Dully, he added a hairband to the list.

* * *

When Edward woke up, the pocket of space was filled with the dull orange light of sunset. Quickly checking if there was anyone nearby, he squirmed out of the pile of crates, stretching out his body to full length. The nap had been great for his system, well, as much as a malnourished one could be. He was going to have to strictly put off runnning or roof vaulting until he got back home, which wasn't too bad. Sneaking around the Begnion rockheads was a cinch, even though it was a lot slower. The distance from here to his home was pretty close too, so he could probably reach there before night really set in. At least he hoped so. Sneaking around at night time was much harder since there were so many troops patrolling the place. A lot of people had disappeared from them, most of them people he knew. 

Slipping into the nearest alley, he settled into a jog as he weaved in and out of the alleyway maze. More than often, he'd have to stop and hide from the coming and going soldiers. Edward grit his teeth. They must have been still looking for him. Did they realize he was an escaped soon-to-be prisoner? Or did they just really hate food theives? Either way, it was a problem. Taking the direct route was going to be risky, definitely doable, but if he didn't pull it off...

He flashbacked briefly to a kid happily waving him off for his day mission. Determined, Edward turned back where he came from. He couldn't risk losing Buddy. Not after when they've been seperated for so long... Breaking into a light run again, he made his way to the other end of the city, where security had to be laxer than the side he was on.

The sun was shining its last rays when he heard the noises. He snuck into an adjacent allwyway, standing perfectly still. It was faint, but it sounded like a fight was going on. Pricked by curiosity, he crept up the narrow pathway to the source, an small area behind an abandoned herb store.

"Give it up. You might have shot one of us down, but there's three of us and one of you." Edward stiffened. Begnion soldiers. And somebody else he guessed, though the person didn't make themselves known.

"If you lay down your weapon, we might get you to the prison camp without any more bruises." His fist balled in anger. Ganging up on someone like that, how cowardly could the Begnion be? Then again if the mystery person took down a soldier alone, guess it was understandable why they would be. 

Well he wasn't going to stand around doing nothing. He was a proud Daein and he was going to fight for his people! Quickly glancing to see where the soldiers were, he unsheathed a bronze dagger from his belt. He was a lot better with a sword, but he had left his back home because it was too heavy for sneaking around. Edward thanked Ashera for him remembering to sharpen the knife before leaping into the fray with a yell.  They turned around at the same moment he plunged the blade into one of them's neck. Pulling the knife out with a squelch, he dashed to the next. The soldier threw his javelin at him with a terrified shout, which he rolled away from. Jumping up to his feet, he jerked the knife up, skewering the neck with a spray of blood. Still breathing fast from the excitement, he looked up from the now-dead soldier and-

"LOOK OUT!" He whirled around to see the last remaining Begnion pig bringing down his spear, ugly anger etched in his face-

THWAP! A feathered tuff sprouted from the man's head, right between his eyes. The soldier looked as surprised as he did, going crosseyed to see the arrow even as he collapsed. Edward turned back to thank the mystery savior, and took a step back in surprise. The person looked as young as he was, and doubly tired. Yet, their eyes shone with clear sharp light, ready to cut anyone down. Coupled with the dying red light tinging their messily tied golden hair as if it was on fire, they almost looked like a messenger from Ashera. He opened his mouth to comment but closed it again with a swallow. Beautiful.

Clink clink clink. They both turned their heads to the sudden noise. Finding his words again, he offered a hand to the mystery person.

"We'd better leave. They'll be here soon." They hesitated, uncertainty flecking in those hard eyes, before grabbing it tightly.

"Hold on!" With that, they ran, the last of the light fading away in their footsteps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The body of water= symbolism for Ashera because apparently her holy element is water. And who doesn't love religious symbolisms in their children's story?


	2. The Sun's Hands

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the week delay!

Leonardo struggled to get a grip on what was happening. One moment he was being cornered by a number of soldiers, and the next he was getting whisked away by a random swashbuckling kid. He tugged on the hand leading him on.

"Slow...Down...!" They skidded to a halt, Leonardo almost colliding into the kid. Leaning on a crumbling brick wall, he tried to catch his breath.

"You okay?" The kid asked. He shot a glare at him, but the message didn't seem to reach.

"We were chased by a bunch of soldiers out for our blood, no I am most certainly not okay." He frowned. Save for the signature paved road of Nevassa, everything else was beyond recognition. The streets were filthy and choked off by buildings at each side, all of them in varying states of disrepair. Most of them were clearly empty, fitted with broken down doors and caved in roofs. "Where even are we?"

"We're in the slums!"

"The slums?" Even when he vaguely knew the answer, hearing the word still gave him a start. Even though he had heard about the slums(who wouldn't have, every Daenite knew about the place.), it had always been more of a concept to him. A place made out of baseless rumors and fears. To think he'd actually set foot in here was...Quite jarring.

"I know, it's not the nicest place in Tellius. But it's better than nothing, right?" The kid smiled up at him. With his relaxed attitude and outfit, he must have been a slum locale. It certainly explained his skill with a knife. Still, it was hard to see that this bouncing ball of cheer would have anything to do with Cobbletown, the cesspool of Daein's lowest scums.

"By the way, do you have a place to stay?" The kid asked another question.

He thought back to the abandoned basement but quickly crossed it out. There was no way he could go back there with the soldiers patrolling everywhere. "No."

"Okay. Then you're staying at my place!"

"What?" Even with his breath filling only half of his lungs, he found enough air to object. "You can't just-"

Clunk. They both turned their heads to the noise. The kid motioned with his eyes to an open door of one of the houses. Darting in, they sat in frozen silence as the clinks of armor came closer and closer. For a moment, Leonardo thought the clinks had stopped, zeroing on his pounding heart, before slowly growing distant.

"We have to hurry." The kid whispered. He tugged on his hand. "There'll be more soon."

He balked at first. The idea of following a random person that he found on the street barely an hour ago was practically inconceivable. It wasn't that he was suspicious of the kid, but the fact remained he didn't know anything about him other than he was a street rat. Then again, there really was no place for him to turn to. And the kid, whoever he was, didn't seem to harbor anything but friendliness. Which was the part he didn't get, but as the kid said, they didn't have much time.

Grabbing the other's hand, Leonardo stood up. "Let's go."

As they made their way through the empty district, Leonardo couldn't help but feel smaller by the second. Even though it wasn't a big area, the emptiness of it all was somehow stifling. While he lived in the open countryside, it was never empty, just subdued. Here, it felt as if the air itself was dead, just like its city. It didn't help that the kid would frequently slip into one of the many alleyways, with their twists and turns that only made him feel more lost than before. While moving, they would run into the other members of the night patrol, some alone, and others grouped together. Each time the pattern was the same. They would hide before the approaching men could see them, and then continue in the direction they left off as soon as they had some distance between them.

Eventually, they stopped at an intersection, where a number of soldiers were standing guard. They didn't seem too invested in their jobs, though, the one on them even dozing off.

"That's the last batch of soldiers."The kid whispered, excitement clear in his tone. "If we can just get through them, we can get to the Barn."

"A barn?"

He scratched his head. "No, the Barn's a nickname. I don't know why, everyone just calls it that. Anyways that's where home is."

Home. His chest tightened at the thought. Could he ever go back there? Better question, would there be anything there left for him at all? There was no one waiting for him, and the Begnion would have no doubt taken everything that they could lay their hands on, the servants taking whatever else they didn't. His fingers clenched. There was nothing.

"What's wrong?" He snapped out of his thoughts. The kid was peering at him, his face full of concern. "You looked really sad for a second."

"I'm fine." He responded automatically. "It's nothing important." He almost winced from the lame answer.

The kid gave him a look of 'that's-definitely-not-true', but thankfully didn't question him further. "The guard here seems to be pretty loose, so sneaking in shouldn't be a problem."

"But how? The entrance is blocked." Leonardo pointed out. "Unless..." He followed the other's line of sight to a rickety ladder placed against a wall, its top inches away from the roof.

"Come on, it'll be fine." The boy said, noticing the look in Leonardo's eyes. "I'll go first if you're worried!"

"You do realize if we fail we'll be falling right on top of their heads, right?" He hissed. "This is suicide!"

The kid snorted. "Nah, they couldn't hit the broad side of a wyvern if they tried. You just gotta trust me in this, er." He paused, a sheepish grin replacing his easy going one. "Your name is...?"

"It's Leonardo. But still-"

"Nice to meet you, Leonardo! Mine's Edward! Or Eddie, you can choose whichever." The usual grin was back with full gusto, if not even more so."Okay now, let's get going!"

"Hold on!" He felt as if he was struggling against a flooded river. "There has to be a better way! Something like..." A horrible image of a broken body flashed in front of his eyes. He gripped the edge of his shirt, feeling the fabric tear under his fingers. "L, like..."

Suddenly Edward grabbed his hand, pulling Leonardo closer to him. "It's okay, it's okay! It's normal to be worried! It's pretty high up and all, not to mention those monsters." He jerked his thumb to the guards' direction. "Buddy was like that too before he got used to it. Now I can't seem to get him off there. Anyways my point is the roof is safe, double cross my heart and hope to die! Besides," Edward's smile turned decisively more cheeky than before. "Do you see any other way to get past them?"

Leonardo blinked, muddled from the sudden transition."Well, no-" By Ashera, the hand was so _warm_.

"Then just follow my lead!" As Edward ran to the ladder, the traces of his touch still warm, Leonardo couldn't help but feel utterly and thoroughly confused.

* * *

"Buddy?" Edward called out. "You there?"

Silence. He frowned. "Buddy, I'm back." He called again, this time slightly louder. Again, no response.

"Who's Buddy?" He almost jumped. Leonardo hadn't spoken after they had reached the other side of the guards, to the point where Edward had almost forgotten he was there.

"Buddy's my little brother! He must have gone over to Lucian's place 'cause I didn't come back on time. He's gonna really grill me for that tomorrow..." He winced at the thought. Tomorrow wasn't going to be pretty.

He plopped down on the stone floor, back against the dingy wall. "Come on, you must be tired." He said to the other boy, who was still hovering awkwardly in front of the stairs. Leonardo looked around warily, before settling some ways away from him. The look on the other's face kind of reminded him of a cornered rat he caught last week, scared but not gonna go down without a fight. And boy did it not go down without a fight. ' _Man_ ,' he mused. ' _that rat definitely had sharp claws_.' Who'd knew something so nasty could actually be real good food?

Food. The thought of it brought all of the hunger he'd been keeping back crashing in. He scrabbled to grab his pouch, working with the straps until it fell apart. He almost ate the two right then and there but thought better of it. He got one, now soggy from being left alone for so long, and split the pie in two.

He handed one half to Leonardo."Here, you must be hungry."

The blond took the pastry, squinting at it as if there was a knife sticking out of it. "This is from the Agin Bakery. Even people from outside Daein know the place. How in Ashera's name did you manage to afford these?"

He shrugged. "Just stole them." A blank look. Edward fidgeted under the gaze, growing more uncomfortable by the second."Is something wrong or..."

"Huh?"Leonardo blinked, breaking the spell. "Oh no, it's nothing." He turned to his pie, nibbling at it quietly. Edward patiently waited for the other boy to continue talking, but it was soon obvious that that was it. A heavy silence set in the room, the air practically solid with it. He tugged on the collar of his shirt, his portion of the pie all but forgotten. This was even more uncomfortable than when Leo had been staring at him!

"So,"Edward asked, desperate to break the awkward atmosphere as fast as he could. "where you from?" Silence. "Are you from Nevassa, or...?" Zip. Nada. Edward started to panic. No human being was this quiet! Was he sick? Injured? Angry? All of the above?

"W-Well, I'm a Nevassan, born and raised!" He decided to just keep talking, hoping it'll make the other boy respond. Maybe. Hopefully. "Been in the slums as long as I can remember. It's not that great, but you get used to it!" He peeked to the side, to see Leonardo's eyes fixated on him. Feeling more confident, he surged on. "Sure there's a lot of bandits, even before all of those Begnion pigs, and it's pretty hard to get food around here. There's lots of good people, though! Like Buddy, Lucian and those kids in his place, those sailor guys from the Saltpit, Matthias..." Edward paused. Somehow it popped into his head that none of his friends were actually close to his age. He inwardly shrugged. It didn't really matter.

"Speaking of Matthias, he taught me something pretty cool last week!" He stood up, rubbing his hands in excitement. "Here goes!" With a running start, he put his hands on the ground, forcing his lower body up in the air. "It's called a headstan-" The floor slipped under his fingers, the extra momentum making him topple to the ground in a heap.

"Are you okay?" Edward's eyes blearily made out Leonardo's worried face looming over him. The blond strands of the other's hair streaked together with the stars floating in front of him, mixing together into a gleaming blur.

"Yeah..."He sat up, easing his head against the wall. He was definitely going to have Matthias teach him how to do that properly. "At least I didn't end up with a crooked neck, then I'd really be a slum crook, eh?"

A snort. Edward whipped his head up to the blond boy. Even with the hand covering his mouth, the edges of his smile was still clear in sight.

"You laughed!" Edward felt his heart soaring. Finally, he'd made some progress!

Leonardo dropped his hand, the scarlet on his face striking against the blue of his eyes."So what if I am?" Edward felt his already flushed face turn even redder. By the _Goddess_ , he was really pretty.

He grinned, not caring about the pounding of the blood rushing into his head. "Nothing, nothing." He had a good feeling about this, he just knew it.

* * *

As the night grew deeper, Leonardo counted the minutes for his departure.

It wasn't as if he didn't know it was wrong. Edward had been nothing but kind and welcoming, a little too so in his opinion. To leave without even saying anything was pretty much spitting in his face. Also as crazy as it sounded, he found himself wanting to stay in Edward's grimy cellar of a home. Even ignoring the state of the place, there was the matter with Edward himself, who he had basically zero information about. Of course, the kid had told him a few things, but who was to say that was even the truth? The only certain facts were that he lived in the slums, and was very good with a knife, which didn't really support any promising outcomes. Worst case scenario, he'd have his eyes and teeth stolen right under his nose only to be sold to some fat Begnion duchy. Leonardo suppressed a shiver. Listening in on the rumors flying around the army cadet barracks was starting to feel like a bad decision by the second. Still, even with all of the logic and common sense, some part of Leonardo knew he could trust the tiny kid, street-rat or not.

But feelings didn't matter when there was a big red target on your back. The Begnion would be searching high and low for him, and it wouldn't be long till they search the slums more thoroughly than their usual patrols. And once they did... He violently shook his head clearing off the vivid thoughts. If he was going to get caught anyway, he was going to go down alone. Nobody else needed to get hurt because of him.

_The tiny body crumpling onto the ground_

He grit his teeth, tightening the hold on his pouch's straps. No more.

"Aren't you going to sleep?" Leonardo jumped. From the doorway was Edward, eyes wide with unasked questions.

"Nothing." He cursed inwardly at his sharp tone. "Just. Going out for a walk."

Edward's eyes got even wider. "You sure? It's pretty dangerous at night. Do you want me to come along?"

Rats. "No, I'm fine." He lied. "I just wanted some time to think about my situation."

"Like what?" _Rats._ "Just some...things. Like Begnion and this place and such." He quickly changed the topic to avoid digging himself deeper. "So uh, what's your brother like?"

He inwardly sighed in relief when Edward's face broke into a smile that would rival the sun in its brightness. "Oh, he's just the best! He's awesome, nice, understanding. I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't picked him up."

Leonardo's eyebrows shot up. "I'm sorry, you 'picked up' your little brother?"

"Yeah, he used to be with Lucian and the other kids, but we got along a lot so I took him with me!" He stared at Edward a bit more, but couldn't find anything but sheer genuine cheer. Although it sounded suspiciously like a kidnapping, he decided to trust in Edward that he wasn't, in fact, a child-napper.

"By how you speak of him, you two must get along really well." He put a hand on his chest, a dull ache beating like a second heart. Micteal. Just the thought of him made his heart constrict, shrinking and squeezing-

"Hey, are you alright?" Edward had his hands wrapped around his own again, concern shining in the gray of his eyes. "You don't look so good."

Leonardo shook out of his grasp before he could continue talking. "I don't understand." He softly said. "We're not friends, we've met only a few hours ago. Why are you being so..." Familiar. Accepting. _Warm_. "So nice?"

Edward shrugged. "Why can't I? Besides, friends help each other out, right?"

"But we aren't friends." He emptily repeated. "Friends are people who've known each other for a certain amount of time, and are familiar with each other. We're just two strangers who happened to meet with each other." Another ache, this time a lot sharper. He dug his fingers into his palm. It's not like it mattered, any of it. This was for the best of both of them. For Edward. For him.

It had to be.

"Then let's be friends." Leonardo blinked. Edward had that easy grin again, like nothing was or could ever go wrong. "That way it's good for both of us, right?"

"I, I..." The words seemed to stick in his throat. There was that feeling he felt back in the basement, as if his chest was on fire. he quickly swiped his eyes to check for any tears, but they were still dry as a bone.

"OK, it's a deal!" Edward rubbed his palms and, to his slight horror, spit on one of them. "Let's shake on it."

He looked at the offered hand warily, not just because of the wad of saliva. If he shook on it, there was no way he could ever run away unannounced like he planned to. Logic or not, it would be downright cowardly to run away from a promise. Besides, having a 'friend'...That notion grabbed a hold of him, like a honeysuckle vine would do to a branch.

Leonardo grabbed Edward's hand, now slimy but still so warm. "It's a deal." As the fire in his chest died down to a smolder, he prayed to Ashera and everyone he knew that everything would turn out safe and sound.

"Nuh uh. You have to spit on it too."

"Oh,come on..."


	3. A City of Hostiles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "This is going to be the shortest chapter so it's going to get out faster." Me two months ago before karma running me over with the force of a two-ton truck. 
> 
> This chapter is heavily Leonardo-centric, which is inevitable since he is the 'main' protagonist. I'll try to make it more balanced next chapter. 
> 
> Well, enjoy!

"And we're here!" Edward crowed, gesturing to the building in front of him with a sweep of his arm. "Introducing the Saltpit!" A solid and loud 'CRASH' punctuated the boy's statement, followed by more, smaller bangs and knocks with what Leonardo swore was a scream.

"Um...Are you sure this place is safe?" The Saltpit looked like it shouldn't be standing, let alone able to withstand...Whatever that was going on inside. Boards and support beams crisscrossed the walls, desperately keeping them from crashing to the ground. Above the door hung a broken piece of wood stained with a suspiciously red splotch. Leonardo winced as another series of crashes rocked the house, this time accompanied by the definitive sound of breaking glass. "Besides I thought we were going to get your brother." If following what Edward had told him last night, Buddy was too important(and way too young) to even go near this shambles of a building.

"We are!" Edward replied, before hastily adding on after seeing the look on his face."This is Matthias's usual hangout spot. The orphanage is locked up since Lucian's out to the marketplace, and Matthias is the only other one with the keys than Lucian himself." He tried to peer in the dirt caked windows, straining on tip-toes. "They're really getting rowdy there huh? Wonder what's going on."

Leonardo personally hoped that whoever 'they' were, didn't get within a 10-meter radius of the two. "Are you sure we should go in there? Can't we just wait until this Lucian person comes back?"

"Nah, Lucian doesn't come back after noon on market days." With a shove, Edward opened the door before Leonardo could stop him. "And don't worry they're nice people! They're just like this because they're pirates and all."

"Wait did you just say pirates-"

A pair of arms the size of tree trunks snatched the kid up, shaking the boy up and down. "EDDIE! IT'S BEEN A WHILE!" Beyond the door was a figure that made the doorway shudder in its seams as they walked into the clearing. Leonardo felt the bob in his neck plunge as the light revealed a mountain of a beorc. Save for the few tightly stretched cloth, their copper skin was bare, muscles clearly etched in the daylight. From the far edge of their shoulder, he could just barely make out the curved glint of steel behind the shock of pink curls. His hand snaked to the bow strapped to his back. Even without the army training, he could tell that this person was dangerous beyond belief.

Leonardo was about to draw the bow when Edward's muffled laughter came from amidst the mass of flesh. "Olga!" With a flash the scrawny boy was on top of the menace, sitting on their shoulders like he belonged there. "I think your bear grip's getting better."

The mountain roared, the sinews under their skin trembling. "Glad to hear it, boy!" The giant peered below, looking straight at him. "And who is this?"

"That's Leonardo! He's my friend!"

The giant's neck craned a pinch more. "He's a looker, ain't it? He your boyfrie-" With a squawk, Edward surged forward to put his hands over the behemoth's mouth. Well, tried to. "Oh, seems like little Eddie's got a crush-"

"UHHHHH WHY DON'T WE ALL GO INSIDE RIGHT NOW IMMEDIATELY HUH."

Still chuckling, the giant ducked back into the open doorway. Leonardo hesitantly followed after. For a second he thought to get his bow out but shook his head. If Edward knew and trusted them, then maybe he could share some of that trust as well.

Even though it was broad daylight outside, the house seemed to be coated with a film of gray. A few dingy lamps hung from the ceiling, the only sources of light other than the meager light that managed to get through the caked grime of the windows. His nose twitched. He swore he smelled something else under the alcohol...

"LOOK WHO'S BACK!" A rush of bodies filled his vision, the salty fumes of their sweat sharp against his senses. In the center of the commotion he could make out Edward, still on top of Olga the mountain, grinning and whooping with the rest of them. Their eyes met, and with a fluid motion he jumped off from his mount, seemingly materializing in front of him. With a grin, he grasped his hand, yanking him towards the realized what was going on and tried to pull back, but it was a little too late.

"Hey, guys!"With a lurch, Leonardo stumbled onto the tiger skin rug, almost tripping on the still attached head. Even without looking up, he could tell that this was the exact center in the midst of the pirates. "This is my new friend Leonardo!"

He felt his mouth going dry as the walls of muscle stared at him. "Um...Hi."

A man stepped forward, eyes shining through the wild tumble of hair. "Haven't seen you around these parts, where you from, the Clinkers?" He spat, the gob landing on the tiger's glazed eye.

"I, I'm new here." He cursed inwardly for the stutter. "I came from the Sella region." Remember the rules. Breathe in. Look straight. Exhale with nose. Of course, this wasn't exactly a traditional captive situation, but he wasn't going to knock it.

The man started to lean in, but before he got any closer, Edward slipped in front of him.

"Leave him alone!" He squeaked. "You can trust him, he's a good guy-" With a grunt, The pirate shoved him to the side. With a dark leer in his eye, he took another step and-

CRACK. Out of nowhere came a tankard, crashing into the man's head. Eyes bulging from their sockets, he collapsed, making the floor shudder. The visible portion of his face still twitched, teeth flashing under the lips as if it was a snarl.

"That was loud." A lean woman stepped out from the crowd, who he was aghast to see that they only came up to her shoulders. She nudged the fallen pirate's head with a bare foot. "I ought'a crush your skull in for disturbing your superior." The foot stayed on the man's cheek, her rightmost toe just below the loosened eye. Leonardo noted that out of all of them, she was the only one with an actual shirt, a worn piece of linen hanging over her ebony frame.

An explosion of laughter. The giant,(Olga, wasn't it?)heartily put an arm around the woman, pulling her close. Somehow the woman was _still_ taller, dark eyes poking above the pink curls. "Good to see you and your temper too, Ilaine!" She glanced at him and Edward, before coming back to the woman with a grin. "And I see your thing with kids are still strong as ever."

With a nuanced eye roll, Ilaine shook free of the grip. "Keep that up and I'll mug you in the head too."

Olga snorted, brushing off the insult with a flip of her wrist. "Like that'll ever happen. Not when I'm doing THIS!" With speed that didn't seem she would be capable of, she dipped the other woman.

The woman gasped. "Stop that!"

"If you say so." The bigger woman's face tipped to the other's, grin still plastered on as they kissed. It was such a broad display of affection that Leonardo had to take a step back. Weren't they embarrassed? Ashamed?

"Ughhhhhh," Edward whined. His face was scrunched up, mouth protruding in a pout. "Stop doing mushy stuff in front of me." Leonardo stifled a chuckle at the childish response.

Olga broke off from her contact. "Oh yeah?" With a sudden lunge, she hoisted Edward into the air, him shrieking in surprise. Alarmed, Leonardo almost whipped out his bow again. From the air, Edward just looked so _tiny_.

"Put me down!"

"Okay, little fella." Chuckling, the pirate did as she was told. She winked at Leonardo. "Wouldn't want to embarrass you in front of your boyfriend."

Edward's face took on the hue of the Begnion army. "He's not-I mean-You-"

"Um, excuse me." He felt all eyes turn to him. Struggling not to shrink back, he asked the question on his mind. "What exactly does 'boyfriend' mean?"

Immediately the room shook with roaring laughter. Olga wiped a tear from her eye. "Boy, you sure know how to pick them, don't ya Eddie?" Leonardo felt his face fire up in all the shades of Ashera's hair. He'd never wanted more than to crawl up in a hole and die in it. At least he wasn't alone in that matter. Edward looked as if he wanted to hit them all over the head or combust on the spot. Or both.

"All right, all right, that's enough." Ilaine's voice cut through the noise. "Poor kid looks like he's about to burst." She ruffled Edward's hair in a way that was unmistakably affectionate. It made him feel strange watching it, a blanket smothering his chest. Was this jealousy...? "You're here to see Matthias, right?" She jerked her thumb upwards. "Came last night, He's at his usual spot."

"Thanks!" Edward grasped his hand, heading for the stairs when a firm hand gripped Leonardo's shoulder.

"I think you should go up there alone. There's a lot of hungover people angry without both of you making a ruckus. Besides Matthias drank a lot more than he normally does, and you know how he gets when he's cranky." Ilaine tugged him closer, grip still a bit too hard for comfort. He hedged a look upwards to see her eyes, but they didn't betray anything. "We'll keep an eye on him, so don't worry about it."

Edward shrugged. "Okay." He turned to him. "Be right back!" Leonardo nodded in response. Edward didn't seem to find the pirate's request out of place, so maybe this was still fine.

_Or it could be a trap._ The paranoia that's been lurking behind spoke. Maybe Edward had been leading him on, right up to this moment.

Leonardo grit his teeth. He was so tired of 'if's and 'maybe's.

"Come on." Ilaine guided him to the far corner of the building. The space was covered by shabby drapes, nailed to an even shabbier support beam. She nudged one of the drapes aside, revealing a mound of cushions that he was surprised to see were in fair condition. "Hey, Auntie." She called out. "We need you to babysit someone."

A bundle of cloth emerged from the mound. "I was sleeping." A cross voice came from its front end.

"You can continue sleeping if you want, just keep an eye on this kid." She turned away, glancing back at him with another unreadable look. "Behave, now."

With a sigh, the bundle moved, the swath of cloth dropping away to reveal an old lady, skin covered with wrinkles and age spots. "Always the impatient one." She gave him a glance and waved him in with one wizened hand.

"Careful now, some of those are real silk." She tersely said as Leonardo entered the alcove. "They survived the most brutal of sea storms, I won't let them get ruined by a mere toddler."

"I'm 13."

She snorted at his response. "Your point?"

He chose not to reply, instead positioning himself in an area clear of the cushions. Close up, their worn-out state was more apparent, edges fraying with loose threads. "How did you get so many of these?" He outwardly spoke. The more he kept her talking, the lesser a chance of anything slipping by his guard.

Of course, only _if_ his suspicions were correct.

"Admiring my collection now, huh?" A note of pride crept into the woman's voice. She pointed to the one next to her feet."This one I got from a Crimean lordling, wrested it right out of the whelp's hands I did." She chuckled to herself, her expression growing increasingly smug. "That yellow one's from a Daeinite, and that lovely red one with the flower is from one of Begnion's dukes themselves."

He noted the cushion closest to him. "What about this one?"

"That's one of my own. I used to sew back when my joints were all clogged with sea salt." She waved away as he opened his mouth again. "Enough questions. I'm not here to answer everything your curiosity fancies."

"Just one more. How did you get acquainted with those..." He vaguely gestured to beyond the drapes. "...People?"

She hooted with laughter. "You can call them pirates, boy. And didn't you hear what that blackbird has said? I'm an aunt. Specifically to that giant pink bozo over there." A shadow flitted over her already dark eyes, muting the life in her features. "Truthfully, I was never too keen with all of the looting and pillaging, but I made the most out of it." She patted the pillow on her lap. "As long as they have their loot, I can have my cushions and stories."

"Stories?"

Another chuckle escaped her lips. "No matter who they pillage or kill, they're still sailors. And sailors LOVE to gossip. Be it old legends, myths, to simply bragging."

"That's surprising." He muttered, the spit on the tiger skin coming to mind.

She nodded. "I know, some of the ones out there are worse than sub-humans. Still, I get some good stuff time to time. Ever heard about the legend of Yune's winter?"

Without meaning to, Leonardo bolted upright. "Are you talking about the 'Tale of Winter'?"

"It's become a children's tale? That takes the intrigue out of things." She muttered. "Don't understand why it did though, it doesn't exactly have a happy ending."

"What do you mean?"

A thin brow rose among the wrinkles. "Riled up, aren't you? Was it your bedtime story perhaps?"

"Tha-that's not-" He stammered, painfully aware of the blush creeping on his cheeks.

"No matter. I suppose there's nothing better to do." She settled back into her throne of comforts. "A long time ago, before Ashera's three champions were chosen, the dark god Yune roamed freely. She did whatever her dark heart desired, and disaster trailed in her wake."

Even knowing the story by heart, Leonardo couldn't help but lean forward in anticipation. With the curtain blocking most of the outside light, it almost felt like he was back, way back with his father's warm hand on top of his own... He pinched the bare skin of his leg with force. This had to _stop_.

"But one day, she found a girl." The woman paused, her eyes glinting in the dark. "And for the first time, Yune fell in love."

"That's preposterous!" Without thinking, Leonardo blurted out the statement. "A dark god can't-"

"It's just a story, boy." The low voice cut through his haze of thought. "Now calm yourself. Anyways, smitten as she was, she was still the dark god. Following her destructive nature, she kidnapped the girl, bringing her to the tallest of Daein's peaks. She wanted to figure it out, you see, what this feeling of hers was. Try as she might though, she could not find the answer."

The voice then shifted in tone, darkening as she spoke. "When Yune was away though, the kidnapped girl's sister snuck in and rescued the girl."

"Coming back, and seeing the girl gone, Yune felt a storm, a terrible loss she had never felt before. In sorrow and rage, she released the pain in her soul. And that," she finished, "is how the winter came to be. At least that's how the story tells it."

Leonardo shifted in his position, the new information pressing against his mind uncomfortably. "That's...an interesting take, really different from what I know." He admitted.

"Tosh. You don't really believe what I've said. It's right there in your eyes. But that doesn't matter." The crone sighed, crumpling further into her treasured cushions. "Well, since Ilaine and and your little beau isn't here to pick you up, I guess I can-"

He held out a hand. "Back up. My _what_ now?"

Even with the dark, he could just feel the crone's grin. "I said beau. That's what Edward is, is it not?"

"Wha-" For a moment Leonardo felt the floor slide beneath him. He leaned in closer, hissing his next words. "We-we're not engaged!"

She sniggered, which soon turned into full-fletched laughter. "You-Oh you are just too much." She coughed, calming herself. "Though as much as I appreciate your naivety, you might not want to reveal that you're a noble so flippantly next time."

All the air went out of his lungs. "What?" He breathed. "How-That's not-"

"Please, No common folk would even know what a 'beau' would mean, let alone slummers like us."

Collapsing on his knees, he gripped the edges of her blanket. "I know that you have to tell them, but please don't." His own voice seemed to echo in his head, its harsh edge drowning him from the inside out.

The crone cocked her head. Along with the lighting and those beady black eyes, the act made her look almost inhuman. "Clever boy, you knew that I was an informant from the start, didn't you? That's why you kept asking me those questions." She stroked her chin. "You know, I like you, so I'll keep it a secret. Wouldn't want to see you as another splatter on the wall."

A revelation dawned on him. "So the scream I heard from outside was..."

"A captive Begnion soldier. They had to stall you so you wouldn't see the remains."

Leonardo shivered. Was that whole commotion about him just a diversion...?

"But I know for a fact they wouldn't hesitate to do the same to a blue-blood like you." She continued. "It'd do you well for you to be on guard. Most of the folks here share similar sentiments with those hooligans outside."

"And you don't?" He dared to ask.

"What do I gain to care? I'll die soon enough anyways." Loud steps echoed from above, the dislodgen dust coming down in puffs. "Your time is up, it seems."

"Thank you for your time and advice." He said haltingly. "It was...eye-opening."

"Yes, yes." A knobbly hand emerged, shooing him out. "Now go. He'll be waiting for you."

Just as his hand brushed against the flap of the entrance, he hesitated. "And you won't...?"

The crack of light made her button eyes glitter even more. "It'll be our little secret. And remember. Trust sparingly."

* * *

"So what were you doing with Auntie?" The sun was now high in the sky, opposed to the early morning they set out from home. Edward took a deep breath, soaking the sunlight in. Even if it wasn't much, with the cramped buildings of the slums barely letting any of the sky show, he could still at least feel it. The Saltpit was a cool place to hang and all, but it was dark and WAY too dusty. He'd once asked why they didn't just open a window. The response was a bunch of noogies but he never really got the answer.

"Nothing much."Edward glanced at the other boy's face. Under the sunlight, his face seemed paler than usual. Did something happen when he was gone? Then again, Leonardo was a bit pale to begin with.

"Um, are you okay? You don't look so good." Guilt started to coil in his stomach. Maybe dragging him along wasn't such a good idea after all.

His eyes grew wider. "No, no. It's okay. I was just thinking." After a pause, Leonardo spoke again. "Say, are those pirates usually that...Accommodating?"

"Hm? Not really I guess." He kicked a stray pebble, it bouncing away in the empty street. They were going through a back alley, which eventually wound its way to Lucian's place. Cutting through the main streets would have been faster, but for a newcomer, he didn't really think Leonardo could stomach it. "Most of the visitors are people who want to drink and crash though, so I don't think they even have the chance to. They're nice to me though! Known them since...Forever really."

For a bit, they just walked alongside each other before Leonardo asked him another question. "Last night, when you said you spent your entire life in Nevassa, did you mean that as it in these slums?"

"Well, yeah I guess. I hang around in other parts of Nevassa too though. You said you lived in Sella, right? That's the countryside, isn't it?" Leonardo nodded. "How's it like? I bet it's way better than here." He waved his arm around, accidentally knocking himself in the face. Luckily Leonardo didn't seem to notice.

"It's definitely more open than this place." He agreed. "And a lot more colorful too."

"Come on, tell me more! I've only been to cities or towns and stuff. At least tell me how it's like to live with no mountains..." Edward's voice trailed off, eyes zeroing in on a small figure just beyond the block. "Buddy?" He gave the figure a wave, this time making sure to keep his arm up high. "Buddy, it's me!"

"EDDIE!" Buddy, with the speed of lightning and the force of an avalanche, collided into him headfirst. Normally this would have knocked him flat on his feet if he wasn't already used to it.

Laughing, he tousled the kid's hair. "What are you doing out here? I thought Lucian wouldn't be back until past noon!"

Buddy shook his head."Lucian didn't go out today. He locked himself in his room and hasn't come out since last night."

Edward frowned. "Lucian did that? The same Lucian who took care of nine kids while almost dropping with fever?" He'd have to drop in on Lucian later. He wrapped his arms around the boy, the last of his worries lifting from his shoulders. "Well, I'm glad you're alright. You're not mad at me for coming back so late last night?"

"I forgot about that! Now I missed my time to be angry."

A grin peeked out at the pout on Buddy's face. "I saved you some pie." He soaked in the gasp that came after.

"You're the best ever!" Buddy said with sparkling eyes before burying his face in his worn shirt again.

"Um..." Edward almost jumped from Leonardo's voice. The other boy was standing a bit to the side, looking as uncomfortable as he did last night at home. A flash of guilt struck him.

He gently pushed Buddy away. "Buddy, I'd like you to meet my new friend, Leonardo! He's going to be staying with us for a while. Leonardo, say hi!" The blond murmured it, his gloved hands gripping the edges of his clothes. "Buddy your tur-"

"No."

Edward's head snapped back to Buddy, whose smile had been replaced with a frown. "Wha-"

"I said NO!" He stepped back in shock. Did he just _snap_ at him? "I'm not saying it, and he's not staying with us!"

"There's no where else he can stay." He wasn't raising his voice yet, partly because he was still in shock but also because he didn't want to. When was the last time he did that to the kid...? It hurt to think about it. "So we're going to help him."

"Why? We don't pick up every person on the street! It's hard even with the two of us!"

Edward's eyes hardened. "Don't be like this." He warned. "You know I don't-"

"FINE! Do what you want, whatever." All of a sudden Buddy turned heel, running in the opposite direction. "And don't follow me!" His voice echoed back in the narrow alleyway, thinning into the air.


	4. Striking Down Walls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter, while also being an update, is also a bday gift for azureforest, who has constantly been amazing to me. Trek on buddy.

Leonardo grabbed Edward's arm, stopping the boy in his place.

"What are you doing, I have to-"

"Edward." He made sure his tone wasn't too sharp. "You have to let him go."

"But-"

"He'll come back. He's your brother, remember? You have to wait for him to sort out his feelings."

The look Edward gave him was overflowing with doubt. "Why would anyone want to be left alone?"

"Some people are just like that. That's just how people are." Of course, he had no idea if Buddy was actually like that. Still, the thought of Edward confronting the kid just didn't sit right with him. That split second view of the boy's face before he turned and ran away lingered in front of his view.

He could swear that there have been tears in those eyes.

Edward's back slumped, the pressure against Leonardo's grip slackening. "I don't understand," he mumbled, rubbing his eyes furiously with a grubby hand. "We never had a fight like this before." The look of raw vulnerability didn't seem to belong on Edward's face, something that shouldn't be seen. Leonardo shifted uncomfortably. It felt like he was intruding on something private.

With a last swipe, the boy straightened up again quickly. His eyes were still red, which Leonardo suspected wasn't only because of the rubbing. "I want to check on Lucian." He announced. "I don't think he's doing okay." Before Leonardo could say a word, he went and burst opened the door, darting in. He tentatively followed after. The way Edward was acting didn't sit right with him either, but he swallowed it. Edward had just gone through a lot of emotional strain, of course, it would have an impact. His eyes wildly searched the seemingly empty shack, until zeroing in on an open hatch on the floor, the rungs of a ladder peeking out from below. There was no use dwelling on it now anyway.

Gripping the wooden bars tightly, he went down. It was a short trip, his feet coming in contact with the floor in a matter of seconds.

Immediately he was reminded of a stable. It just gave off that feeling, with the tall walls and the wooden flaps he could see in the distance fastened onto them. He shook off the hay stuck to his boots. The straw scattered on the floor certainly didn't help with the stable image either.

The more he looked though, the poorer the place seemed. The limited space threatened to induce claustrophobia. The walls made matters worse, seemingly closing off all around him. He felt like livestock, waiting for a butcher. How could anyone, let alone children, stand to live here?

"Excuse me," He almost yelled out loud. He scrambled back, his back knocking against the wall. It was another kid, choppy hair sticking out in all directions.

"Who-"

"Shhhhhh!" They hissed. "You'll wake up the little guys!"

A bubble of protest rose, but Leonardo shoved it back down. "Isn't it only noon?" He whispered.

They gave him a look of supreme reproach. "It's nap time." Their tone was of such scorn it was a wonder he didn't shrivel up on the spot. With a jerk of a thumb, they pointed to a nearby flap. "Ed's there if you're wondering."

"Um, thank you." With barely of a nod, they slipped back into the nearest opening. Taking care with his steps this time, he pushed open the flap.

Edward's head snapped up, gray eyes meeting his. In an instant he was in front of Leonardo, the chair he was sitting on almost toppling to the floor. "I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking and I left you alone and I'm sorry, I'm so stupid-"

"It's okay." Leonardo cut his ramble short. "You were upset. It's normal-."

The other boy shook his head. "It's not okay to just ignore you, just because I was sad doesn't mean you're not important."

A warm sensation prickled his cheeks. How could a person be this earnest?

A rustle, a cough. They both turned around to a thin man rising from an equally thin bed. Edward rushed to the man's side trying to push him back down."Don't move, you're still sick! You have to get some rest!"

The man chuckled. "I already told you, Edward, it is my mind that's ill, not the body."

"But Lucian-"

"I assure you, I'm fine." Tousling Edward's nest of a hair, he fully rose undisturbed. The man turned his gaze towards Leonardo, pale eyes sweeping over him like candlelight. "Are you Edward's friend?" He nodded. At first glance, Lucian seemed plain, with shoulder length brown hair and moth-eaten robes. There was something though, a certain inexplicable grace that drew him in. "I am Lucian, owner of this humble orphanage."

"Seems awfully small for an orphanage." Leonardo blurted out without thinking. Aghast, he covered his mouth but Lucian merely gave a sad smile.

"I am aware this is not the most...ideal location for the job. But in a place like this, we must take what we can get."

"Isn't it hard?" It normally wasn't like him to talk so much to strangers, but he couldn't help being intrigued by the caretaker. The man just didn't seem to belong here.

Another smile, this time its edges slightly more curved."I'd be lying if I said it wasn't, but that's the dilemma with every parent, yes?" He laughed. "Though I do have to say not every parent takes care of six children at once."

Leonardo's eyes widened. "Six...?"

"I know right?" Edward grinned. "There used to be more too."

Lucian shook his head, sighing. "Now those were hectic times. Thankfully I've now gotten some more helping hands with some of the older kids."

He recalled the previous encounter. "Like the one with the spiky hair? They told me off for not being quiet earlier." He paused. "I wonder why they didn't come and tell us off for being too loud earlier."

"You're talking about Gene." Edward piped up. "They're pretty smart, so I think they let us off the hook this time." He knocked on the wall. "Hey, thanks, Gene-"

"SHHHHHHH!"

Edward stifled a laughter. "Yep. Told ya." As if remembering something, he turned towards Lucian. "By the way where's Damon? I thought he'll be home by now."

Lucian's serene face suddenly twisted, the mood suddenly dropping. Leonardo's heart sank. He'd seen that look multiple times; when his brother had come back from a failed league raid, his military instructor getting a letter from his family. He knew what it meant.

"Edward..." He winced at the tone of the man's voice. It was too gentle, too soothing, too vulnerable. "There was a reason for my illness. I..." Lucian took a deep breath. "Damon is not coming back."

Silence. Leonardo stared at the floor, not daring to look at Edward's face. "Wha...That's not..." Suddenly Edward shouted, making him jump. "That can't be! Damon was the strongest guy ever!"

"Even the strongest man has limits." Lucian's quiet voice was immediately drowned out by Edward.

"No! You're lying!" He crammed his fingers into his ears. "I'm not listening! I-"

A burst of frightened crying tore through the walls. Edward shuddered to a halt, breathing hard. Then he stormed off, yanking Leonardo with him.

Lucian tried to follow them, his gait an odd jumble of a limp and a shuffle. "Edward please-" The boy didn't respond though, the grip on Leonardo's hand tightening.

What was he supposed to do? This wasn't the right course of action to take, but leaving Edward alone when he was like this was definitely out of question.

As they left, he caught the last glimpse of Lucian, standing forlornly in the dark narrow corridor.

* * *

"I shouldn't have done that." Edward muttered. "I was a complete jerk back there." They were back in the alleyways, trudging along the winding road. This sun was setting now, orange light shining down from the sky. He angrily stepped on some of the ruined pavement, the gravel crunching under his foot. First Buddy ups and ditches him, and now Damon...

"Who's Damon?" He turned to Leonardo. The boy had been silent for the entire time they were here. Well more like he'd been in an angry buzz and practically forgot Leonardo was even there. Again. He clenched his fist. Just after he apologized for ignoring him too.

"He's a mercenary. Big tough guy, has- _had_ a gigantic sword." He grit his teeth. Saying stuff in past tense _hurt_. "He was awesome, didn't really talk much, but when he did, he'd say all kinds of cool things. Since he was a mercenary he got to go all around the continent." He was starting to get into it, getting more animated. "There's so much awesome stuff he told me! Buildings bigger than castles, towers taller than mountains, oceans larger than anything you've seen. He'd spent a lot of time with me and the other kids when he and Lucian made that orphanage too. He'd always fall for the same pranks and had the same reactions, it was hilarious." He was grinning now, slipping easily into the past.

"He must have meant a lot to you," Leonardo said quietly.

He nodded. "Yeah, he..." A hard bob suddenly stuck in his throat, along with the hot pressure behind his eyes. He swallowed, the temporary good mood vanishing. If he said anything more he was definitely going to break down. "I-it's nothing. Forget about it."

Leonardo frowned. "What's wrong-"

"HEY THERE!" Just ahead was Olga, a leather pouch in her hand. "Fancy seeing you two here."

"Hey, Olga." He called to her, relieved for the interruption."Why'd you come out of the Saltpit?"

The pirate grinned. "I wanted to give you this before you left, but I forgot so I was heading to your home. Just don't get used to it, this is the only time you'll see me as a delivery woman." She handed over the pouch to him, which was a lot bigger than what she made it look like. With some effort, Edward managed to lift it. "They're some extra provisions since you've got an extra mouth to feed now."

 _'It's hard even with the two of us!'_ Buddy's words in front of the orphanage echoed back at him. Gathering all his energy, he managed to smile back at her. "Thanks, Olga. You're the best." Leonardo muttered some similar words beside him. Was it his imagination or did he seems even paler than usual?

Olga waved away the thanks, turning to the blond boy, "So I heard some things from Auntie."

"Really?" Nope, definitely pale.

"Yeah." She flashed a smile at him. "A little merchant boy huh? You think you can rope some of your other merchant friends into giving us good deals?"

Leonardo's shoulders slumped. "Uhh..."

With a roar she slapped him on the back, him nearly toppling over. "Just messing with ya, kiddo. Well, catch you two later!"

Edward nudged Leonardo as she left. "Are you okay?" The other boy looked like he was about to collapse on the spot.

A weak nod. "I'm fine." He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, then opened them again, blue eyes set with new calm. "I'm fine." He repeated. "Let's keep going." They continued on their way in silence for a while until Leonardo spoke up. "So why did you stop talking about Damon?"

"Just got a bit upset, that's all," Edward said, his head scrambling to come up with another subject to turn to but came up with a blank. Instead, he blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "Damon was the reason why I took up a sword actually."

Leonardo made a surprised noise. "You use a sword?"

"Yeah, I've been training with it for a while now!" He jumped on the topic eagerly. "I wanted to get stronger so I could join the army. I mean I'm not saying I hate it here but," he gestured vaguely around him." it's hard not to pass up the chance."

"Did Damon train you? Learning how to use a sword isn't easy."

"Nah, I taught myself. Damon was going to, but..." He petered off, his enthusiasm cutting short again. "Before he left, he said he would, even duel me." He shook his head. "I was looking forward to it too..."

"I'd duel you." He turned to Leonardo, who seemed as surprised as he did. He regained his composure quickly though. "My brother taught me the basics of how to wield a sword, so I think I could do it."

Edward blinked. "Really?" Did he really just hear that? "You'd do that for me?"

A steady flush colored Leonardo's cheeks. "You've already done so much for me by letting me stay with you. You even saved my life. This is practically nothing-"

With a laugh, he grasped the other boy's hands. "No, it's not! It means a lot to me. I, I mean it's just..." The words froze in his mouth as he looked Leonardo's face straight on. The red dusting the skin somehow made him look even better, the color of his eyes and hair springing to life. He thanked Ashera for his skin color being dark enough to hide his outrageous blushing. "Thank you."

And those were the only words that needed to be said.

* * *

When they arrived at Edward's home, Buddy was already asleep, leaning against the far corner of the basement. Edward gently picked him up, stretching him out on the floor, before motioning to follow. He led him to a carpet hanging on the wall, lifting up the edges to reveal an opening.

"I found this place by accident actually." Edward smiled at him sheepishly. "I was practicing with my sword when I tripped and crashed through the wall." Leonardo chuckled and his smile grew wider.

They entered the secret space, which turned out to be more spacious than he thought. Crude wooden swords were piled up in a corner, many of them broken. The wall next to them was battered, faint scratch marks crisscrossing the brick rows. He traced the white lines with his fingers. How much time did Edward spend here, battering away at the wall?

The boy picked up one of the sticks, testing it with mock swings. Satisfied, he waved Leonardo over. "Come on, pick one!"

The mock swords certainly looked better up close, the whittle marks pale against the brown wood. Even the handle seemed to have care put into it, the groove of the hilt smoothened with flat strokes. He picked out the one that jutted out at the left, basically the same one as Edward's but just a tad longer and slimmer. It reminded him of the practice rapier he had, and the memory comforted with him a pang. "It's heavy," he exclaimed, surprised.

"I tried to make it as realistic as possible. Pretty neat right?" Edward moved to the other end of the chamber, sword up and ready. Leonardo did the same, facing off Edward. Even knowing this duel didn't really mean anything, the prospect of fighting still prickled him with anxiety. The only thing he knew about sword fighting was with the few lessons he had during summer, with...with Micteal.

"You sure you want to do this?" He snapped into attention. Edward was waiting for his answer, the excitement he saw just a few seconds ago replaced with anxiety and doubt. It was the alleyway again, even going back so far to the orphanage, where Edward seemed to shrink into someone else, someone alien.

He gripped the wooden sword tightly, taking a defensive stance. It didn't matter what he felt, he never wanted to see anything like that on Edward's face again. "Definitely." His heart swelled when the other boy's expression morphed into a mixture of relief and gratitude.

"Ready on the count of three. Three, two, ONE!"

Immediately after Edward said the last number, he dashed forward. Leonardo barely had time to put up a block before Edward's sword smashed into his. He grimaced from the impact. He was strong! Before he could regain his ground though, Edward lunged from below. This time he only had time to strike the other's sword, making it veer off close.

 _'Keep your distance.'_ A voice whispered. He instinctively jumped back, away from another incoming slash. _'Not too far, you could overextend your reach and leave yourself open.'  
_

_'Now, keep your sword arm at an angle. That way it's easier to intercept an oncoming attack.'_ This time he was ready. A quick step, and he parried the sword, their edges scraping against their length. _'Read your opponent's movements. Find an opening._ ' He kept at it, sidestepping and parrying Edward's advances. Now that he was at a breathing distance from the attacks he could fully focus on Edward himself. This time the excitement was replaced by pure determination, sweat beading off of his tan skin. As for Edward's movements, they weren't too skilled in itself, but the lack of skill was covered by his sheer speed. Even with all of his defensive measures, Leonardo had to keep checking his footing so he wouldn't get tripped up or driven into a corner.

Slowly though, he could feel Edward's frustration growing, his attacks growing more wider and sloppier. He was slowing down too, the exertion catching up on him. The boy raised his sword once more, this time the chest exposed-

and Leonardo struck, two quick jabs in a row. Edward staggered back, reeling from the impact. It was over.

He dropped on the floor, heart still pounding with adrenaline. That voice...it had been Micteal's, he was certain. There was something odd though, something different that he couldn't put his finger on...

"You were amazing!" Edward bounded across to where he was, almost bursting with enthusiasm. "How'd you learn how to fight like that? That's so cool!"

He smiled. "That's my line. You were so fast that I almost thought I was going to fall down multiple times. If you've been formerly trained I definitely wouldn't have won." As he talked, an idea popped into his head. "Actually, why don't I teach you how to fight? I mean just the basics and stuff, nothing fancy-"

With a whoop, Edward scooped up Leonardo's hands, shaking them up and down. Did this kid run on limitless energy? "Are you KIDDING? Of course I'd love to, I can't believe this-"

"I have something else to say, too." Leonardo blurted out. "I-Um-Do you remember what Olga said about me coming from merchants? Well, that's not really true."

The boy cocked his head. "Really?"

"Yeah." He took a deep breath. No point in losing nerve now. "What I'm trying to say here is that I trust you enough to tell you this so...You don't have to try to hide something from me either." He could feel Edward freezing from his grip. Not daring to look up, he forged on. "I understand if it's something personal and don't want to share it with me, that's fine. But if something's bothering you, I want to help you get through it, whatever it is. So if it's okay with you, please, tell me what's wrong."

A second. Then two. Leonardo shifted nervously. "Umm-"

He was suddenly rocked backwards, a pair of arms wrapped around his torso. Edward's face was buried in his tunic, his entire frame shuddering. _He was crying._ Carefully, he wrapped his arm around Edward as well, rubbing the smaller boy's back in small circles, like his father used to.

With a jolt, he realized what had been so off before. The past no longer felt like it was choking him, hanging around his neck like a noose. Still hanging above his head but no longer life-threatening.

He hugged Edward closer. Even with all of this, Edward somehow still managing to help him in the long run felt so much like Edward, that he couldn't help but smile.


	5. Thoughts in Sunset

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Hey this hasn't been updated in 8 months! I thought you were dead!" me too. I guess I'm back now.  
> Dedicated to someone very important and deserving of good things

Of all the things that could have happened, having someone along with him on the Nevassa rooftops wasn't something Edward would have thought to happen. Sure, Buddy was also available, but Edward had always thought he'd make it to the Nevassan upper class before Buddy was old enough to climb this high. But here he was, at his favorite place in Daein if not all of Tellius, with someone he knew for a mere three days at his side, looking down at the people like they were up in the sky with the birds.

"Wow." There was a tone of awe in Leonardo's voice that made Edward's chest pound with pride. "I've never seen Nevassa like this."

"It's amazing, isn't it? It's at the perfect angle to the Daein Keep and everything!" He sat on the clock tower's edge like always, his legs swinging back and forth. It made him feel free, like he was walking on air. "I'm surprised you managed to climb this high though."

Leonardo smiled. "I'm an archer, remember? Climbing things comes with the territory." A glint of humor shone in the blue of his eyes. Edward was momentarily stunned. A genuine smile on Leonardo? That wasn't caused by his physical pain? Actually that made Leonardo sound like some sort of psychopath, scratch that. He was brought back to real life by a question. "So we're here to scout out people to steal from?"

"Yeah. Since Buddy's angry about it being hard for us with you around, I'm going to prove him wrong by showing how helpful you can be!" It was an ingenious plan, an absolute breakthrough! Buddy would have to acknowledge Leonardo after this! "Just wait, we're going to come back with so much loot!"

"You're sure?" Leonardo asked again, this time with more worry. Right, this would be the boy's first time on a stealing round.

Edward clapped his shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll be there with you all the way!" It was the least he could do for having Leonardo listen to his troubles. Or see him cry. Or any of the things he did last night. The tips of his ears burning red at the memory, he turned his head and the thoughts away from the topic. "So you see anyone that can be a suitable target?"

"What does a 'suitable target' look like?"

He thought the question over. "Well, they have to look like they're not from here. Like if they're looking around too often or looking lost. Like...that guy over there!" He pointed to a bald man in the crowd.

"...I think he's actually lost." Leonardo said quietly. "He's starting to cry."

"Oh. He really is. Huh." Before he dug himself into a hole further, Leonardo saved him.

"What about that person over there?

Edward squinted to see where Leonardo was pointing. He whistled. "Wow. Those are a pair of eyes you got there. I can barely see them from here. Sorry to say though, I think that woman's scavenging like us."

"So stealing." The other boy clarified.

Edward shrugged. "Hey, it's a living. We have to eat somehow."

Leonardo's eyes grew wide. "I-I wasn't thinking-I'm sorry-"

Edward put a hand on Leonardo's shoulder. It felt small, even though the other was bigger than him. "It's okay. You didn't know right?"

"That really isn't an acceptable excuse."

He frowned, squeezing harder, tense muscles vivid to the touch even when under his shirt. "Don't be so hard on yourself." The situation kinda felt like when he used to pester some of the drunkards back at the Saltpit, tuggin on their arms so he can get them to stop ignoring him, maybe even talk. His brows furrowed a bit more, remembering that all of his advances had never worked. What did he have to do to actually get through?

The train of thoughts popped like a bubble with a movement down below. Hauling himself up from the air, he leapt down to the tower's wall, fingers cupping the stone rather than holding it.

A head of corn-silk hair popped over the roof. "ED-!" He stopped when Edward put a finger to his lips, eyes wildly bugging out. He instead hissed. " _Put both your arms back on the wall this instant!_ "

He did as he was told. "Come on, let's go." He whispered back. "Just follow me first."

"Wha-"

With a vertical step, Edward swung down. The leather soles hit the wall, then bounced off again as he swung down again, the lessened shock of the jumps tickling his kneecaps in a comfortable rythym. It didn't take long until he stepped off on the nearest rooftop, old shingles shaking on impact. He glanced back up the clock tower. Leonardo was still only a speck of blue and yellow on the gray stone, almost stuck there. The excitement in his feet kept egging him on to just make a run for it, so he sat down instead, waiting.

It took thirty sets of 10 foot taps until Leonardo heaved his way onto Edward's rooftop. "WHAT...WERE YOU THINKING..."

He peered at Leonardo, who was flopped stomach first onto the uneven surface. He'd never seen the pale guy so red like this. "Wow, you sound really out of breath, you alright?"

Eyes peeked out from the mess of yellow hair. "Do I LOOK alright?" He almost whistled. Leonardo really could hiss.

"You want to stay here while I do the heist?" Leonardo shook his head. "You sure?" Funny as it was, he really did look tired.

The mini-haystack shook again. "I can do it." He mumbled. "I have to..prove myself." Slowly, the boy shambled himself up back together. The red was fading away around the edges of his face, softening its harsh edge. "It's my responsibility."

He cocked his head. "Res...what?"

"To.." Leonardo gestured aimlessly. "To take care of something, because it's under your area. Your duty."

He cocked his head in the other direction. Flip flop. "That doesn't make a lot of sense."

A short breath of air escaped Leonardo's mouth. "It's like with your brother, you take care of him right?"

"I care about him, he's my little brother!" Edward paused a bit. "He does things on his own though. That's bad?"

"That's not-" Leonardo turned his head, hair covering his face. "Just forget about it. It's nothing."

He wasn't going to let it go of course. He motioned to the boy to follow him as he hopped down to the next roof. "Come on, tell me!"

Leonardo stared for a bit, then rolled his eyes. His lips were slightly turned up though, so Edward counted that as a victory of some sorts. "Fine." He stepped down too with a clatter. " Responsibility is like...when your brother makes a mistake, you're partially at fault too."

Edward blinked. "I don't get it." They moved to the next roof, at an angular direction to the mark as he eyed the ground with the corner of his eye.

"There's nothing to get, it just is." Leonardo hotly replied.

"You're really passionate about this." He remarked. Maybe the way to Leonardo's inner heart was getting him fired up.

Leonardo kept going, voice rising in tone. "I'm the one who doesn't get it, it's rational. You're his family, you're older than him. You're supposed to take care of the younger..."

The sound of feet against shingles stopped behind him, and Edward turned back. "Leonardo?" He stepped closer. "Hey, you okay?"

"Hey, watch it!" His eyes jumped back to the ground. It was the same woman they spotted up at the clock tower, running through the crowd almost as if she was passing through air. "Hey, hey! Thief!" The yelling grew louder and wait that wasn't important now-

"Leonardo!" The other boy was definitely not okay. He was hunched over, practically kneeling on the broken tiles. Edward rushed to where he was, shards crumbling under his feet. "Leo!" He grabbed Leonardo's shoulders again, feeling them shudder under his touch. He grit his teeth. This wasn't what he wanted...! "H,hey, snap out of it!" What was happening? What was he supposed to do? He swept Leonado's hair away from his face. It was as bad as he thought it was gong to be, eyes closed, ragged breath. He let out a sigh of relief. At least he was still breathing. Leo's head turned under his hand, and Edward flinched. He still didn't know what to do. Every part of him seemed so fragile, like it would break at any moment with a single touch.

Hesitantly, he moved his hands from the head to the boy's hands. "C'mon. Breathe." He didn't dare raise his voice with Leonardo like this. Or really say anything else. "Just follow me okay?" He breathed in slowly, then sighed it out. Breathe in, then breathe out. He squeezed the hands along to the beat of his breath. In, out. In. Out. He wasn't going to get scared. He _wasn't_ going to get scared. He wasn't, _he wasn't_ -

"Edward." He jolted, eyes he didn't know were closed jumping open to Leonardo's pale face. His blue eyes swam out from the sickly skin. "I'm...okay."

"Shhh. Keep breathing." Leonardo piped down, definitely not okay. He was better though, and that made his shoulders lift up. Taking up on the rythym again, he continued. This time he could hear Leonardo's too, ragged breaths matching his. They didn't sound good at all. Mindlessly, he fidgeted around with his hands, thumbs nervously pressing circles on the other's skin. His thoughts were going so fast, was Leonardo going to be alright, what was happening out there, was there a chance for them to get caught, how much of the day was left, so many what's and how's and was's.

A movement under his touch. "Hey." Leonardo's voice was as rough as his breath. "It's getting late." It was, the sky turning pink without him even noticing. Some time must have passed while they were out of commission.

That fact didn't distract him though. "You alright?" He pressed. The sight of the broken body wavered in front of him, and he swallowed.

Blond hair bobbed along Leonardo's nod. "I think so." A shadow fell on the other's face, dusking pale skin. It made him look thirty years older, more faded. Edward reached out, touching Leonardo's shoulder for the third time that day. It was loose, but not in a good way, this was...sad.

He was here though. Still here. "It'll be okay." Edward said, tightening his grip. It would be okay, as long as they were somewhere he could reach. All of them...

Leonardo stayed silent, and for a second Edward thought he saw a ghost in his eyes, but the boy turned his head away, loosened hair masking his face like Auntie's curtains. "You're right." It sounded wrong when he said it.

"You can say what's wrong, I mean I did last time, I mean it's really up to you, but y'know." He quickly changed his sentence, feeling Leonardo's shoulders tighten in response. "It can make you feel better...?"

Edward stifled a relieved sigh when Leonardo turned his head back with a small smile on his face. It looked tired, but it was still there. "I'll be okay, I just need some time. Thanks for offering though."

His eyebrows dipped in worry. "You sure?" He sure wasn't.

"Yeah." The shadow had shifted with the sun, leaving Leonardo's eyes open, but he couldn't see the sun's light in them. "What are we going to do now?"

His brows shot back up as he remembered what they were doing before. "Our food!" He rocketed up, looking over the cityscape. It was no good; the marketplace had thinned out, some of the stalls even packed up and gone. Defeated, he flopped back onto the broken tiles. "...I guess I can't say anything to Buddy huh."

A hesitant question poked him. "Didn't the pirate woman give you some stores?"

He blinked. Then blinked again. "She did!" He turned to Leonardo, who seemed more surprised than he was. "Leo, you're a genuis!"

"N-no, I'm not-"

He was already up, practically bouncing with joy. "This is great, we can tell Buddy that you reminded me of the stores! Or, or better yet, we can tell him we STOLE those, since Buddy doesn't know about it yet! Genius!" He grabbed the other's hands, yanking on them in excitement. "This is so-"

"WOAH!" Edward's feet skidded, and for a second he could feel himself midair, truly free, then-"Edward?" Something soft, and firm.

"Huh?" He raised his head. He somehow wasn't face first on the roof.

He suddenLy felt himself being thrusted and -oh my god Leonardo's face. "Are you okay? I wasn't prepared to stand up and I pulled you down, oh my goodness. Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah." He gulped. Where was he supposed to look? He pulled away first, feeling like his head would burst. He sat next to the boy instead. "I'm good, don't worry about me! It wouldn't be me if I cracked with a simple fall!" Boucing back wasn't a problem. He'd been doing it all his life.

The sound of wind soaring. Edward stared at Leonardo as the boy covered his mouth, _laughing_. "I'm sorry, you're just so..." He coninued to laugh, the light sound thinning into the sun's now-orange light. "You're just so good."

"Huh?" He was still kinda caught in the other boy's laugh to actually ask him a question.

"It's nothing. Just.." Leonardo smiled, a real one this time. "You were acting so responsible back then that I forgot you were still a kid."

That word again. "I was?"

He nodded. "Back when you were breathing with me."

"Oh." Edward winced at the image of the nearly-broken body in his arms. "I don't think I like it that much. Doesn't feel good."

Leonardo laughed at that. "No, it doesn't." He hummed, something tuneless. "Do you regret it?" Edward shook his head so hard that he thought it would fall off. "That's what responsibility is."

He glanced at the other boy. This was what he was so passionate about? "...It sounds hard."

Leonardo smiled again. His eyes were soft and...sad, for some reason. "It is." They stayed silent, the sun shifting in the sky, orange-red showering them, turning them into shadows. Watching Leonardo, for some reason Edward felt a bit sad too. He snaked his hand, reaching for Leonardo's in an impulse. The boy looked at him, suprise marking his eyes, but let Edward hold it, as he intertwined their fingers together. Edward closed his eyes, warm light coating his skin. He couldn't figure out Leonardo or get through him after all, but at least he was still there.


End file.
